The world is noisy and getting noisier. Here’s how common loud noise at work and home is, and how you can protect your hearing! It’s a noisy world. Probably noisier now than at almost any time in human history. But noise has its place, for better or worse, in life and in hearing loss. From an evolutionary standpoint, noise has … Read More
Preventing Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
We’re exposed to loud noises every day, but when those noises are extremely loud, or we’re exposed to them over and over, they can cause what’s called noise-induced hearing loss. Now a new study sheds light on the role of zinc in NIHL, and possible ways to prevent it. It’s one of the most common causes of hearing loss—exposure to … Read More
New Study Finds People Living in Rural Areas at Greater Risk of Hearing Loss
A new study has identified those who live in rural America at higher risk for hearing loss. Why? Probably because many in these areas work in industries that consistently expose them to loud noises, like agriculture, making prevention the best course of action. A study recently published in the journal Lancet Regional Health-Americas, is one of the first to estimate … Read More
Hearing Protection a Must Around Fireworks
With the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 causing concerns about crowds gathering and the spread of the respiratory virus, many Fourth of July celebrations were canceled or individuals stayed away in 2020 and 2021. But this year, with transmission rates low and the desire to return to pre-pandemic fun high, many people will be joining the celebrations again. That means … Read More
Swimmer’s Ear a Common Summer Problem
Summer is here and so is a common summer problem—swimmer’s ear. According to the Centers for Disease Control, swimmer’s ear, also known as otitis externa, is an infection of the outer ear canal. Swimmer’s ear can occur when water stays in the ear canal for an extended period. In other cases, regular swimming in chlorinated water can dry the ear … Read More
How Loud is that Sound?
According to the World Health Organization, environmental noise is now being acknowledged as an important public health issue and a top environmental risk faced by the world today. One of the casualties of the noisy world we live in is noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). NIHL can be caused by a one-time exposure to an intense “impulse” sound, such as an … Read More
Measuring the Impact of Hearing Loss on Life
How do you measure the impact of hearing loss on life? According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), one way is to calculate disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). These are the number of healthy years lost due to a disease or other health condition. For a condition like hearing loss, it doesn’t mean that a person dies … Read More
Caring for your ears during the summer
Summer is for fun — just make sure that fun doesn’t come at the expense of your ears! Swimming, boating, water sports and fireworks are all a natural part of what makes summer so great, but you don’t want to inadvertently do any damage to your hearing.
